When software stops being another screen and starts becoming a force multiplier, the jobsite wins—and so does sustainability.
If you want a clear read on where construction tech is headed, talk to the people who live with the pain points every day. In a recent conversation I hosted with Steve Yates, CEO of Buildxact, and Derrick Henderson and Luke Bair from the Building Talent Foundation (BTF), a picture emerged that’s both pragmatic and hopeful: AI is finally doing real work for builders, and a smarter talent pipeline is arriving just in time.
The headline? Digitization isn’t about more dashboards. It’s about collapsing friction between estimates and execution, between builders and suppliers, and, crucially, between jobs that need doing and the people ready to do them.
From Siloed Tasks to a Shared Network
Yates frames Buildxact not as a point solution, but as connective tissue. “It’s helpful to think about Buildxact as a network,” he told me. “By digitizing workflows, we’ve enabled a more fluid transfer of information between stakeholders with less friction.” That matters because time lost to handoffs equates to money—and morale—lost on every project.
What caught my attention was how their AI features sit on top of 15 years of line-item project data, which elevates the output beyond generic assistance. “Our AI agents resource that 15 years of project data to build a statement of work based on best practices,” Yates said. From there, the agent can pull live info from suppliers and partners to produce actual outcomes—either a sales order for procurement or a client-ready proposal.
“The AI can take a verbal prompt from a builder and fully resolve a statement of work, then either initiate procurement or send the proposal, without essentially touching the keyboard again,” he added. That’s not “assistive,” that’s transformative, especially for small and mid-sized builders trying to wear twelve hats at once.
Yates was also refreshingly sober about the “AI kills jobs” narrative. He invoked a lesson from banking: when ATMs arrived, total employment rose. “AI is a tool that’s going to enhance productivity,” he said. “You wouldn’t unleash a novice unsupervised. Think of an AI agent the same way, taking low-value tasks off your plate so you can focus on higher-value work.”
Labor: Stop Hoping, Start Building the Pipeline
Of course, none of this works if we can’t field the teams to build. That’s where the Building Talent Foundation steps in with a ground-level strategy that’s as human as it gets.
“We’re not just recruiting and referring,” said Henderson. “Our engagement managers go into classrooms, connect with stakeholders at the education, employer, and builder levels, and bring them together.” BTF coaches candidates on soft skills, resumes, and interview prep, then stays with them for six months to support retention.
Bair shared a story that stuck with me. “Christopher Kirkland, an Air Force veteran, didn’t want to start from zero. Our team matched him with Ellington Air, an HVAC firm. With the right mentoring and employer fit, he was promoted within months and now runs his own truck. The employer was so impressed they’re bringing in five more from the pipeline.”
“Builders need predictability, and new entrants need a runway,” Henderson adds. Connecting BTF’s JobsToBuild platform to Buildxact’s network is how the companies get past the LinkedIn purgatory of job postings to actual placements in real projects.
Sustainability: Make It Transactional
We closed the conversation where I always like to go: Does any of this move the needle on sustainability? The answer is yes when you treat it as a hard metric instead of a soft aspiration.
Yates put it simply: “The clearest trend we’re seeing is life-cycle cost. It’s a post-occupancy question. Not just unit cost—how resilient is this home?” That aligns with what we’re tracking with Green Builder Media’s COGNITION Smart Data: consumers are shifting from first cost to full cost and total value of homeownership. They want homes
That’s where AI can quietly do big things, standardizing scopes that include right-sized systems, high-performance assemblies, and compliant specs without forcing every estimator to be a building scientist.
Henderson corroborates that builders and suppliers are prioritizing sustainability, pointing to partners donating up-to-date HVAC and electrical equipment to schools so grads aren’t learning on museum pieces.
Bair added the labor reality: “With all these new AI technologies, we need more electricians and HVAC pros. The infrastructure of decarbonization and resilience doesn’t install itself.”
According to Henderson and Bair, candidates want sustainable careers: clear ladders, real wages, transferable skills, and builders want sustainable access to talent: consistent pipelines, lower rework, faster throughput.
Signals to Watch
Here are my key takeaways from the conversation:
AI that is trained on real construction data and embedded in real workflows will free up builders to do more of the work that matters, enabling them to coordinate trades, ensure quality, and deliver homes that perform.
Talent systems that start in the classroom and end on the jobsite—with real human mentors in between—will beat “post and pray” recruiting every time.
When you connect those two systems, you don’t just move faster, you raise the floor on quality, resilience, and profitably.
As Yates put it: “This information we’ve digitized is becoming knowledge. If you’re fearful about adopting new practices, you now have a resource that gives you the confidence to modify how you build to a superior outcome.”
As the market changes, one thing won’t: our commitment to giving you impactful tools to stay relevant and resilient. COGNITION Smart Data is your roadmap for navigating change — and winning in a market that rewards companies who adapt. As the building industry evolves, COGNITION Smart Data will help you stay ahead of the curve. Whether you’re diving into the basics of green building or seeking advanced strategies to achieve net zero carbon goals, we’re here to empower you every step of the way.
As cofounder and CEO of Green Builder Media, Sara is a visionary thought leader and passionate advocate for sustainability. A former venture capitalist, she has participated in the life cycle (from funding to exit) of over 20 companies, with an emphasis on combining sustainability and profitability. She lives in Lake City, Colo., with her husband, where she is an avid long-distance runner, snowboarder, and Crossfit trainer. She is also on the Board of Directors at Dvele, runs the Rural Segment for Energize Colorado, and is a former County Commissioner.
AI, Talent, and the New Jobsite
When software stops being another screen and starts becoming a force multiplier, the jobsite wins—and so does sustainability.
If you want a clear read on where construction tech is headed, talk to the people who live with the pain points every day. In a recent conversation I hosted with Steve Yates, CEO of Buildxact, and Derrick Henderson and Luke Bair from the Building Talent Foundation (BTF), a picture emerged that’s both pragmatic and hopeful: AI is finally doing real work for builders, and a smarter talent pipeline is arriving just in time.
The headline? Digitization isn’t about more dashboards. It’s about collapsing friction between estimates and execution, between builders and suppliers, and, crucially, between jobs that need doing and the people ready to do them.
From Siloed Tasks to a Shared Network
Yates frames Buildxact not as a point solution, but as connective tissue. “It’s helpful to think about Buildxact as a network,” he told me. “By digitizing workflows, we’ve enabled a more fluid transfer of information between stakeholders with less friction.” That matters because time lost to handoffs equates to money—and morale—lost on every project.
What caught my attention was how their AI features sit on top of 15 years of line-item project data, which elevates the output beyond generic assistance. “Our AI agents resource that 15 years of project data to build a statement of work based on best practices,” Yates said. From there, the agent can pull live info from suppliers and partners to produce actual outcomes—either a sales order for procurement or a client-ready proposal.
“The AI can take a verbal prompt from a builder and fully resolve a statement of work, then either initiate procurement or send the proposal, without essentially touching the keyboard again,” he added. That’s not “assistive,” that’s transformative, especially for small and mid-sized builders trying to wear twelve hats at once.
Yates was also refreshingly sober about the “AI kills jobs” narrative. He invoked a lesson from banking: when ATMs arrived, total employment rose. “AI is a tool that’s going to enhance productivity,” he said. “You wouldn’t unleash a novice unsupervised. Think of an AI agent the same way, taking low-value tasks off your plate so you can focus on higher-value work.”
Labor: Stop Hoping, Start Building the Pipeline
Of course, none of this works if we can’t field the teams to build. That’s where the Building Talent Foundation steps in with a ground-level strategy that’s as human as it gets.
“We’re not just recruiting and referring,” said Henderson. “Our engagement managers go into classrooms, connect with stakeholders at the education, employer, and builder levels, and bring them together.” BTF coaches candidates on soft skills, resumes, and interview prep, then stays with them for six months to support retention.
Bair shared a story that stuck with me. “Christopher Kirkland, an Air Force veteran, didn’t want to start from zero. Our team matched him with Ellington Air, an HVAC firm. With the right mentoring and employer fit, he was promoted within months and now runs his own truck. The employer was so impressed they’re bringing in five more from the pipeline.”
“Builders need predictability, and new entrants need a runway,” Henderson adds. Connecting BTF’s JobsToBuild platform to Buildxact’s network is how the companies get past the LinkedIn purgatory of job postings to actual placements in real projects.
Sustainability: Make It Transactional
We closed the conversation where I always like to go: Does any of this move the needle on sustainability? The answer is yes when you treat it as a hard metric instead of a soft aspiration.
Yates put it simply: “The clearest trend we’re seeing is life-cycle cost. It’s a post-occupancy question. Not just unit cost—how resilient is this home?” That aligns with what we’re tracking with Green Builder Media’s COGNITION Smart Data: consumers are shifting from first cost to full cost and total value of homeownership. They want homes
That’s where AI can quietly do big things, standardizing scopes that include right-sized systems, high-performance assemblies, and compliant specs without forcing every estimator to be a building scientist.
Henderson corroborates that builders and suppliers are prioritizing sustainability, pointing to partners donating up-to-date HVAC and electrical equipment to schools so grads aren’t learning on museum pieces.
Bair added the labor reality: “With all these new AI technologies, we need more electricians and HVAC pros. The infrastructure of decarbonization and resilience doesn’t install itself.”
According to Henderson and Bair, candidates want sustainable careers: clear ladders, real wages, transferable skills, and builders want sustainable access to talent: consistent pipelines, lower rework, faster throughput.
Signals to Watch
Here are my key takeaways from the conversation:
As Yates put it: “This information we’ve digitized is becoming knowledge. If you’re fearful about adopting new practices, you now have a resource that gives you the confidence to modify how you build to a superior outcome.”
Click here to learn more about Buildxact’s construction takeoff software.
Ready to Get Smarter?
As the market changes, one thing won’t: our commitment to giving you impactful tools to stay relevant and resilient. COGNITION Smart Data is your roadmap for navigating change — and winning in a market that rewards companies who adapt. As the building industry evolves, COGNITION Smart Data will help you stay ahead of the curve. Whether you’re diving into the basics of green building or seeking advanced strategies to achieve net zero carbon goals, we’re here to empower you every step of the way.
Subscribe to COGNITION Smart Data today!
This Housing 2.0 presentation is sponsored by: Panasonic
By Sara Gutterman
As cofounder and CEO of Green Builder Media, Sara is a visionary thought leader and passionate advocate for sustainability. A former venture capitalist, she has participated in the life cycle (from funding to exit) of over 20 companies, with an emphasis on combining sustainability and profitability. She lives in Lake City, Colo., with her husband, where she is an avid long-distance runner, snowboarder, and Crossfit trainer. She is also on the Board of Directors at Dvele, runs the Rural Segment for Energize Colorado, and is a former County Commissioner.Also Read